Many earthquake survivors in Sigi regency, Central Sulawesi, have refused to return home over fears of another deadly quake.

Sigi Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head of rehabilitation and reconstruction Gayus Sampe said that currently there were 190,180 quake survivors staying in shelters across 12 districts in Sigi, namely Biromaru, Dolo, South Dolo, West Dolo, Marawola, Kulawi, South Kulawi, Lindu, Pipikoro, Konovaro, Kinovaro, Palolo and Nokilaki.

Some of the displaced residents refuse to go home even though their houses are undamaged or are only slightly damaged, Gayus said as quoted by Antara on Wednesday.

They choose to stay in the shelters because of recurring aftershocks, he added.

The residents, according to Gayus, always run outside the tents whenever they feel a slight tremor.

Thousands of people in one village in Sigi are believed to have been killed by a phenomenon known as liquefaction, which takes place when solid soil turns to liquid when under stress such as shaking during an earthquake. It has since become known locally as a “land tsunami”.

Mety, one of the residents of Kulawi district, said she would go home when the aftershocks completely stopped.